Vacuum-cleaner.



J. N. WHITEHOUSE.

VACUUM CLEANER.

.APPLIOATION FILED PBB.13, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14,1909.

UNITED: STATES ATENT FFIGE.

JO HN N. WHITEHOUSE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO THE DUSTO-MFG. 00.,OE

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

vacuum-unwise.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join: N. VVHrrE- HOUSE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

More particularly the invention relates to an improvement at themouthpiece end of the device, whereby the down pressure of the operatorof the device is not borne upon the mouthpiece proper and saidmouthpiece has contact with the floor independent of said down pressure.Furthermore, the mounting of the mouthpiece proper through which thesuction takes place and which therefore should conform closely to thefloor or surface cleaned is such that said conformity of the mouthpieceis automatically taken care of with the result that 'thesuction throughthe mouthpiece is at all times completely effective, thereby making thedevice a highly eflicient vacuum cleaner. These and other advantageswill be apparent from an understanding of the following description inconnection with the drawings.

In the drawings which show one embodimentof my invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view of the mouthpiece. end of the improved vacuum cleaneras the same ap-' ears when in working. position on the floor,

. .ig. 2 is a view of the entire cleaner, and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the mouthpiece end ofthe cleaner, showing the. parts resting in working position upon thesurface to be cleaned.

Describing now the device of the drawings and reserving it to the claimsto point outthe novel features and to define the scope of the invention,1 designatesthe barrel of the device supposed to have the usual piston(not shown) working therein, attached to piston rod f or plunger 2,havin at its external end any form of hand e 3 to be grasped by theoperator to work the piston as usual in the barrel to roduce suction ofair through the mouth iece of the device hereinafter to be described. Qfcourse, it will be understood that any usual form and arrangement ofvalve 01'' valves is to be provided, found suitable in this type ofappliance. Similarly no attempt is here made to describe such otherfeatures of this character of appliance that are commonly found there-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1909.

Patented Dec. 1d, 1969.

Serial No. 477,770.

in, but which form no part of the present improvement.

The barrel 1 at its lower end is provided with a roller 4 mounted toturn freely in any suitable bearing and to have rolling contact with thesurface being cleaned, and at such time to support the main weight ofthe device and receive the down-thrust of the o erator upon it. In thiscase there is a sing e roller of elongated form mounted rotatablybetween the arms of a downwardly extending fork 5 on the barrel. Thesuction mouthpiece 6 has the elon ated form shown hollowed out at? fromits under side and communicating by a central opening through its topwith a flexible tube 8 which, at its other end, connects with theinterior of the pumpbarrel 1. The mouthpiece 6 has upward extensions orlugs 10 at its ends, which are pivotally connected to links 9; whichlatter, in turn, at their other ends, have pivotal connection with thepump barrel, or rather, in this case, with the ends of the shaft of theroller 4. It will be noted that these connecting means between themouthpiece 6 and the roller end of the pump barrel permit the mouthpieceto restu on and follow the sur- 1 face tobe cleaned in ependently of theroller 4 and of any down-thrust thereon. In other words, increasing thedown-thrust on the roller 4 does not cause the mouthpiece to be jammedinto the carpet or other surface be ing cleaned. Springs 11 areprovided, fixed at their upper ends to the pump barrel and projectingdownwardly to act resiliently upon the to .of the mouthpiece 6. Thesesprings com ine with the described flexible connecting means between themouthpiece and the arrel to kee the mouthpiece in snug contact with theoor sufficient for perfect vacuum cleaning, and yet said mouth-Eigece-bears on the floor with comparative htness and is not affected byvariations in the down-thrust of the operator on the roller 4. Moreover,the contact of the mouthpiece 6 is yielding, due to the springs 11causing it to closely conform with the surface being cleaned. i

It will be noted that the springs 11 simplycontact with the mouthpiece6, as distinguished from being secured thereto. This arrangementprevents the springs under any circumstances from holding the mouth ieceoff the floor, which they might do i attached, unless care were taken bythe open. ator to hold the pump barrel inclined at the proper angle tothe floor.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprisingthe combination of a hand operated pump; aroller at the lower end of the pump bearingupon the surface cleaned; amouth-piece pipeconnected With the pump; and links connecting themouth-piece and the lower end of the pump and having pivotal connectionwith each.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising the combination of a hand operated pump;a. roller at the lower end of the pump bearing upon the surface cleaned;a mouth-piece pipeconnected with the pump; a flexible connection betweenthe mouth-piece and the lower end of the pump; and a spring attached tothe pump yieldingly pressing the mouthpiece downward.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising the combination of a'hand operatedplunger pump; a roller mounted on the lower'end of the pump-barrel andbearing upon the surface cleaned; a mouth-piece; a flexible pipeconnecting the mouth-piece with the pump; a flexible connection betweenthe mouth-piece and the pump barrel; and a spring on the pump-barrelbearing slidingly and resiliently down upon the mouth-piece.

Witness my hand this 8th day of Feby. 1909, at New York, N. Y.

' JOHN N. WHITEHOUSE. Witnesses SAMUEL KAHN, E. W. SoHERR, Jr.

